There are a lot of different ways to say goodbye to 2018 and welcome the new year. We are all familiar with the long-standing tradition to set new year’s resolutions that dates back to ancient Babylonian and Roman customs. W
e are also probably all familiar with looking back on the previous year and realizing that we didn’t reach all of our goals. Many say that resolutions alone do not work. One study showed that 88% of 3,000 New Yorkers did not meet their goals, even though half of those people were confident they would. So, what is the problem? It is possible that this is because we are much more focused on setting goals than creating plans to achieve them. We often have unrealistic goals, or just don’t know what steps to take to make things happen. Mostly, people focus on personal improvement, or aspects of themselves that make them unhappy. But, it’s common to have romanticized ideas of what we can achieve, and without building in flexibility, we are side swiped by the unexpected obstacles life throws at us.
I think we take ourselves too seriously and beat ourselves up when we fail. Why not make it a game, enroll people to play with you and have fun doing it. At the end of the day …. or year … it doesn’t matter that you didn’t get exactly where you wanted to. Think about the quote by Michael Hyatt, “You can’t fail if you don’t quit. You can’t succeed if you don’t start.” Every day is an opportunity to move toward your goals, create a better you, and make a difference in the world. Here’s a few things to think about as you start the new year:
Complete the Previous Year: Reflect and acknowledge that you are a different person now. Start this year from today, not what you didn’t accomplish last year. Congratulate the things you accomplished, recognize the unexpected surprises that blessed your life, and let go of the things you did not finish. Don’t judge yourself harshly …. There is no right or wrong, there is only what is. If it is still meaningful to you, add it to this year’s plan. If not, scrap it!
Start Small: Big goals can be intimidating, discouraging and difficult to achieve. There are multiple moving parts that can make you want to quit. Breaking them into smaller goals allows you to have small wins that motivate you to keep going. For example, instead of “get out of debt”, your goals could be broken into chunks like consolidate your debts into a single low-interest card, start a saving account, and refinance a high interest car loan. These small wins can help change old habits because you begin to see benefits to small changes in behavior. Old habits don’t have to be hard to break.
Consider Different Formats: Instead of setting large or nebulous goals, create a plan for smaller chunks of time. For example, maybe January to March you plan to go to the gym 3 days / week. Then April to June, you commit to getting outside for an hour of exercise 3 days a week. Create a specific schedule that you can predict will work most of the time. Another option is to create a visual of your plan over the next year. Here is an example of how you can do this.
Put a Purpose Behind Your Goal and Envision Success: It is so much easier to act when you are driven by something you really want or believe in. Create a reason that is bigger than just stroking the ego, or making you feel better. For example, “I want to lose 20 pounds, so I look better” is not as motivating as “I want to lose 20 pounds, so I can do a long and challenging hike with my adult son. Picture yourself accomplishing your goal. If you meditate, you can use this in your meditation practice. Take time to put a purpose behind all of your major goals.
Consider Using Accountability Tools: I use something called “The Self Journal”. This journal has space for you to set yearly goals, then break them into monthly, weekly and daily goals. One of my favorite things about this journal is that you start and end each day documenting three things you are grateful for. If you can, pair a system like this with an accountability buddy. This can be a personal coach or just a friend that you either do activities with or check in with regularly to support each other’s goals. It is always easier to do something when you have another person cheering for you!
I am excited for the opportunity to pick up where I left off in some areas and start fresh in others. Here’s to an amazing new year!
Cheers,
Shelly